Miniature acoustic transducers, for example those fabricated using MEMS fabrication techniques, are used in a variety of applications such as stand-alone microphones, telephone handsets, cellular phones, hearing aids, and headsets. Typically such transducers, along with a microprocessor and interconnects, are mounted within a package that is designed to protect the transducer and associated components from manufacturing process extremes such as high temperature, handling and environmental damage, and electromagnetic interference in use, while providing a convenient means for mounting the device. Unfortunately, such transducer packages tend to be relatively complex due to the competing demands for an effective acoustic package that can also be fabricated in an efficient and cost effective manner.
Although there are a countless number of transducer package designs used in the industry, in general these packages include a substrate to which the transducer and associated components are mounted, and a protective cover attached to the substrate, the combination of which forms the transducer housing. Such a package, designed for use with a MEMS microphone, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,781,231. In the disclosed MEMS package, the cover includes a conductive layer that, in at least one embodiment, is electrically connected to a conductive layer at least partially covering the substrate. The purpose of the conductive layers is to shield the MEMS microphone from external electromagnetic interference.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,166,910 discloses a silicon condenser microphone package that includes a transducer unit, a substrate, and a cover. In at least one disclosed embodiment, the substrate of the package is comprised of a printed circuit board with at least one conductive layer and at least one insulating layer. The cover also includes a conductive layer which, in concert with the conductive layer of the printed circuit board, provides an electromagnetic interference shield. When attached to the substrate, the transducer overlaps at least a portion of a recess formed in the substrate, thereby forming a back volume for the transducer within the substrate.
Although there are a variety of transducer package designs and techniques for fabricating the same, these designs and techniques tend to be relatively inflexible with respect to the acoustic aspects of the package. Accordingly, what is needed is a transducer package that achieves manufacturing simplicity while providing the package designer with increased design flexibility in terms of both acoustic performance and application configurations. The present invention provides such a design.